When done right, a unique job application doesn’t just show that a candidate is talented, it shows off their personality. “You build a profile of the person based on creating him,” says Nicoll. “You can suggest personality traits that are attractive for a job opening: they’re confident, outgoing, or maybe even brave. It’s a conversation starter, and that’s what every job application should be: getting your foot in the door and securing an interview.”
‘A CV that speaks for itself’?
However, a one-off job application is a high-risk strategy: In addition to investing time and energy, a candidate may end up risking their reputation with no return.
Such tactics also tend to only work for certain job applicants. “For graduates struggling to stand out when everyone else has the same background and qualifications, doing something individual and different can work,” says Nicoll. But that’s not the case for candidates who are further along in their careers. “A worker with 10 years of experience should have a resume that speaks for itself, with enough war stories to bring to the table and grab attention.”
Context is also crucial, adds Nicoll. “Creative industries like social media or marketing naturally seek attention – a viral job application in these careers often displays desirable attributes. However, doing it for a law firm where hiring managers expect certain skills, experience, and a level of caution will backfire.”
Dee says a job seeker once came to his office in full Formula One racing gear, a racing helmet in one hand and a resume in the other, for a sports-related production position. “It made me smile and they realized: they were invited to an interview. But context is everything – it wouldn’t have worked if they were applying for a senior position at a major advertising company.”
Candidates who go the creative route also typically have a more realistic chance of applying to smaller companies, Dee says, where a bold gimmick or personalized message is more likely to reach individual managers with genuine hiring power, than unlike large corporations with clunky hiring processes. . “In these cases, the request is normally made directly to the owner of the company. However, larger companies can find it difficult to react to creativity or left field thinking.”
But even if a job applicant gets their résumé to be seen by the right person through clever means, they still have to turn it in at an interview: Dee adds that the fake race-car driver wannabe didn’t get the job. “You can have an application with razzmatazz but then have an interview that doesn’t deliver,” says Nicoll. “You can get the recruiter’s attention, but you need to back it up.”
Source: news.google.com